Cord-knotter for grain-binders



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. STARK. OORD'KNOTTER FOR GRAIN BINDERS.

No. 475,822. Patented May 31, 1892.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shee1h 2. A STARK CORD KNOTTER FOR GRAIN BINDERS.

No. 475,822. Patented May 31, 1892.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' (No Model.)

A. STARK. 0.0111) KNOTTER FOR GRAIN BINDBRS.

Patented May 31, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDRE? STARK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE IVARDER, BUSHNELL & GLESSNER COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

CORD-KNOTTER FOR GRAIN-BINDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,822, dated May 31, 1892.

Application filed October 1'7, 1891. Serial No. 409,063- (No model To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW STARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oord-Knotters for Grain-Binders,

which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

[0 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a knotter-frame and knotting mechanism 111 the position of rest.

spective of the frame. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective of the end of the holderthe holder and knotter-bill in the position 00- cupied just prior to the severing of the cord.

Fig. Sis a section at the line 8 8 on Fig. 7.

A is the breast-plate.

o B is the knotter-frame.

O is the knotter-actuating wheel. D is the knotter-bill. E is the holder-disk. F is the knife for severing the cord. G is an arm rigid with the ho1der-disk,

which forces the cord into the knotter-bill' and against the knife.

H is a spring, which operates upon the holder-disk to force it up into the saddle.

I and J are respectively a washer and nut on the end of the holder-spindle e, by which the spring H is retained and between which and the holder-disk it reacts.

a form commonly known as crown-disk or cup-holder, being modified in some respects I from any crown-disk holder heretofore shown.

It is adapted to co-operate with a fixed saddle to hold the cord, such saddle being formed 5o rigid with the knotter frame or hearing of the holder spindle, and, as illustrated,itis formed Fig. 2 is a per- Fig. 5 is a sectional plan at the l each knotting operation.

E. The holder employed in this machine is of integrally with said frame and bearing, comprising the flanges B and B with the intervening groove B concentric with the axis of the holder-shaft hearing, all on the side of the holder-shaft bearing toward the knotterbill spindle-bearing. The holder-shaft e, journaled in the frame in the customary manner, is driven by the engagement of the pinion E fast at its upper end with the segment-rack O of the knotter-actuatin g wheel O. The pinion E has two delay-surfaces at opposite sides co-operating with the delay-surface 0 0i theknotteractuating wheel to hold the pinion, its shaft, and the holder thereon at rest during the intervals between the engagement of the segmentrack O, so that the holder is given half a revolution for each complete revolution of the knotter-actuating wheel Othat is to say, for

The holder-disk E is feathered on the shaft 6, meaning by this word featherec to cover any connection by which the disk is adapted to have motion longitudinally on the shaft while it is rotated thereby. Preferably the shaf t-bearin g at the lower end is rabbeted or enlarged, so that the hub E of the holder-disk is admitted into such enlargement, which is seen at b in Fig. 8 and which is deep enough to allow for the longitudinal movement of the holder permitted by the spring H without causing the end of the hub at any time to emerge from said cavity. The advantage of thus housing the end of the hub in the bearing is that thereby there is avoided all danger of lodgment of cord ends or straw or refuse upon the upper end of the hub, between it and the lower end of the bearing, which might embarrass the action of the holder. A key or feather E is shown in Figs. 7 and 8, taking into a groove 6 in the hub of the holder (see Fig. 4) and serving as the connection for purposes of rotation between the shaft 6 and the holder-disk The shaft extends down through the hub, emerging therefrom at the under side of the holder, protruding some distance, and at the end it is adapted to receive the nutJand the washer I above the nut, between which and the bottom of the holder there is coiled. about the protruding end of the shaft the spring H, which, reacting upon the nut and washer and thereby upon the shaft E at one end, operates at the other end upon the holder, tending to force it upward on the shaft.

The holder E has its flange E comprising two segmental portions E E with an interval between them, whereby it is adapted to perform its function twice in each complete revolution, the upstanding advancing edge e of each flange-segment being adapted to engage the cord and carry it under the saddle, the flange passing through the saddle and emerging therefrom at the farther limit, releasing the cord at proper times and discharging the fag ends. The details of this operation will be hereinafter described.

The knife F is secured rigidly to the outer side of the outer wing or rib of the saddle, or, to state the position more generally, it is secured to the bearing of the holdershaft at the side toward the knotter-bill, the cutting-edge of the knife being a little rearward of the plane which contains the axes of the bill and holder. The cord is carried against this knife in the knotting operation by the upstanding finger G of the arm G, rigid with the holderdisk, and the exact time of cutting with respect to the other processes is thereby determined by the location of this arm on the holder, as hereinafter explained. The holder, having duplicate members on opposite sides of an axial plane, has necessarily two of the arms G with upstanding fingers G, and preferably these arms are both formed on a single plate, which is apertured at the center to permit it to be passed onto the hub of the holder and which may be secured to the holder by screws g. To all intents and purposesit is apart of the holder-disk, which may be made in a separate piece and afterward attached, if found more convenient than to make it integral with the disk.

The holder-disk comprises, besides the upstandingflange E, a flange E which protrudes horizontally at the base of the holder, its upper surface, however, being blended in flowing curves with the upright outer wall of the flange E. The upper surface of the holderdisk inside the upright flange, between the latter and the hub, is upwardly concave, and is denoted by the letter E merging in the inner upright wall of the flange E. The flange E is adapted to pass easily, but without much room to spare, through the groove B of the saddle, and the lower edge of the innerrib or wing B of the saddle is conformed approximately to the concave surface E of the holderdisk, and the outer wing or flange B of the saddle is conformed to the ogee curve of the flange E for a short distance at the forward end. This flange has the part B which extends down outside of the convex curve of the ogee flange E cut away back to a point a little rearward of the edge of the knife F, forming at that point a shoulder, which is recessed and constitutes a notch 72 The operation of this holder is as follows: At the conclusion of each knotting operation the holder-cord X is left in the holder at the posiart-5,822

tion shown in Fig. 5, the end which has just been severed by the knife lying under the flange B between it and the ogee flange E" of the holder-disk, but with the extreme end just at the notch E or barely reaching across it, and held chiefly by being grasped between said flanges l3 and E at the portion extending from the most advanced edge of the notch E to the upstanding edge E, which has been concerned in the knotting operation just finished, and, being folded around that upstanding edge it extends past the rear end of the flange 13', between it and the upwardlyconcave surface E hof the holderdisk, and thence, being folded under the forward edge of said flange, extends out over the edge of the flange E of the holder-disk and under the overhanging edge of the flange B and thence over the knotter-bill. The strain of packing the bundle may draw this cord farther under the flange B and such an alternative position of the cord is illustrated in dotted line in Fig. 5. In any event it will be in the first place firmly grasped between the flanges E and I3 with whatever firmness the spring H is able to give in such grasp,

and it will be held more or less wedged under the forward end of the inner flange B if it is not pulled positively and entirely under that flange. The pressure of the spring is designed to be made sufficient, so that in view of the positive grasping of the cord between the saddle-flanges and the holder-surfaces, and particularly in view of the folding of the cord sharply around the upstanding edge e of the holder-flange segment E very little, if any, cord will be drawn through the holder during the packing of the bundle.

When the spool-cord Y is by the needle laid alongside the holder-cord, the knotter-bill and holder start at about the same instant, and by the time the knotter-bill has made five-eighths of a revolution the upstanding edge c has entered the saddle, carrying both cords with it, and by the same movement the notch E of the other segment is brought opposite the end of the outer flange B of the saddle and the holder end of the cord is thereby released; but in order that the end may not be thus released until after the same cord has been carried into the saddle far enough so that the grasp of the saddle and holder flanges upon it at the mouth of the saddle is sufficient to prevent its escape the flange or wing B must be long enough to reach from the advance edge of one of the holder-segments on around in the direction of rotation as far as to the remote edge of the notch which pertains to the other segment. The rotation of the knotter up to this stage will have drawn some cord through the holder, if the bundle is very tight, or otherwise it may have taken all needed cord from the bundle. From this point on both cords are carried together by the advancing edge 6, While the knotter-bill continues its revolution, the jaws opening and receiving the cord at the position shown in Fig. 6. During this portion of the revolution of the knotter it will probably draw some por tion of the cord needed for the knot through the holder; but just after passing this position the upstanding finger G of the arm G, having now collided with the cord which is stretched from the knotter-bill to the holder, forces the cord back into the jaws of the bill, and the heel of the vibrating jaw, being now released from its controlling-cam, is pulled shut, thereby affording a small amount of cord, which is, however, takenup immediately by the arm G as it folds the cord back over the knife-edge. The taper of the bill, permitting the cord to slide forward on it, will also afford a little more cord at this stage, and there may be a little cord yielded through the holder; but the principal eifect of the continued motion after the bill passes the position shown in Fig. 6 until it reaches that shown in Fig. 7, which is the position of rest, is to tighten the cords on the bill and strain the cord against the knife and cause it to be severed. It is immaterial how soon after the knotter comes to rest in the position shown in Fig. 7 the cord parts at the knife-edge, and this will depend upon the condition of cord and knife and tension of the spring; but in any event the cord will part at some stage after the knotter -bill comes to rest and before the holder completes its rotation and comes to rest in the position shown in Fig. 5. The fag end of cord will be carried out from under the saddle-flange B at the same time substantially or very soon after the holder end is released by the notch, and whenever said fag end does thus pass beyond the grasp of the saddle it will slide off from the sloping surface of the flange E and probably drop outside the breast-plate. If it should chance to lodge on the breast-plate, it will escape through the opening A.

I claim- 1. In a cord-knotter,in combination with a knotter-actuating wheel, the knotter-frame, the holder-shaft journaled thereon and having a beveled pinion rigid with it engaged and actuated by suitable teeth 011 the knotter-actuating wheel, the holder-saddle rigid with the frame and the crown disk holder feathered on theholder-shaft at the opposite end of the bearing of the latter from said beveled pinion, and the spring which yieldingly forces the holder toward said bearing and into the saddle, whereby the movement of the holder as the spring yields and reacts is effected without affecting the relation of the pinion to said actuating-wheel, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cord-knotter, in combination, substantially as set forth, the rigidly-fixed saddle, the crown-disk holder movable in the direction of its axis and having its upstanding flange adapted to pass through the saddle as the holder revolves and having also the horizontal or flaring flange E the saddle having its outer wing or flange B shaped at the lower edge to conform substantially to the flange E of the holder, and the spring which tends to cause the cord to be yieldingly grasped between the flanges B and E 3. In a cord-knotter, in combination, a cordholder having upstanding segmental flanges to engage the cord and having recesses E on the outer face of the flanges in position to allow the release of the cord, as and for the purpose set forth.

4; In a cord-knotter, in combination, substantially as set forth, a rigidly-fixed saddle, a crown-disk holder and the spring which forces it yieldingly toward the saddle, the holder having the notch E and the saddle having its outer wing 13 extending through an are not less than that from the advance edge of one of the segments E of the holder to the more remote side of said notch, measuring in the direction of rotation of the holder.

5. In a cord-knotter, in combination, substantially as set forth, a revolving cord-holder disk having an upstanding flange to receive and carry the cord and an outwardly-extending flange at the base of the upstanding flange adapted to assist in holding the cord, and a cord-clamp adapted to cooperate with said flanges.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Chicago, Illinois, in the presence of two witnesses, this 6th day of October, 1891.

ANDRE? STARK. lVitnesses:

CHAS. S. BURTON, JEAN ELLIOTT. 

